1938 Ford Pickup - December 2012 Early Iron

2/4Green accents are used inside the pickup, from the horse blanket covering the bench seat to the plexiglass behind the Auto Meter gauges Sandy got from Speedway Motors. The ’75 Corvette steering wheel connects to a series of shafts that end at a Flaming River Corvair-type steering box. A Painless Wiring kit (installed by Gregg Rogers) links all of the electrical together.

Sandy Carter

Sedro Woolley, Washington

1938 Ford pickup

This is the fourth project Sandy Carter has brought forth, and it looks like it could have been both fun to build and fun to drive, too. Living in Sedro Woolley, Washington (about 60 miles north of Seattle), Sandy bought the cab for the truck after a friend, Mike Selvidge, had already chopped it.

Sandy built the frame out of 2x4 tubing, adding tall spring perches in the front and rear to make space for the custom Eaton springs and so the truck could lie on the ground.

Sandy had parts from a ’48 Ford lying around, and used both sets of axles, brakes, and bones when building up the suspension system. The engine is a 283 out of a ’67 Chevy, and it was machined at Action Auto in nearby Seattle. Inside the motor you’ll find an Elgin camshaft and up top a trio of Demon carbs. Exhaust exits out the side through Sanderson Headers, and the Saginaw three-speed trans out of a ’70 Chevy (and fitted with a clutch and hydraulic throw-out from McLeod Racing) connects to the rear via a custom driveshaft from Drivelines Northwest in Everett, Washington.

The truck cab, though chopped, is about the most original piece on the truck as everything else is highly modified or custom made. Sandy extended the ’33 REO grille shell to shroud the radiator while the bed sides are cut down from a ’40 Ford. The tailgate is from a ’56 Ford and taillights, frenched into cans obtained through Speedway Motors, are repops of a ’39 Ford taillight. Also located inside the bed is a stainless steel gas tank custom made by Rock Valley.

3/4Starting with a 283 from 1967, Sandy had the engine machined at Action Auto. Inside is an Elgin cam while up top is a triple set of Demon carbs. The headers are from Sanderson Headers.

Sandy did the metalwork on the truck while Selvidge helped get everything flat before Tom’s Autobody, also in Sedro Woolley, covered it with green single-stage enamel. The interior, painted in a contrasting white, has no door panels at this time, but does use a horse blanket to cover the bench seat. A set of Auto Meter gauges, set in green plexiglass, occupies the right side of the dash while on the left a three-spoke steering wheel from a ’70 Chevy bolts to a series of shafts that control the Flaming River Corvair-type box. Under the seat you’ll find an Optima battery and all of the truck’s wiring was done by Gregg Rogers, including the cup-mounted tach up on top of the dash. Sandy says there are 100 miles rolled up on the odometer but, in true hot rodder fashion, no one can say their project is ever “done”, right?

4/4The bed sides are sectioned pieces from a ’40 Ford while the tailgate is from a ’56 Ford.